Who directed the 1955 French heist film Rififi?

Jules Dassin directed the 1955 French heist film Rififi.

The film, whose French title is Du rififi chez les hommes, follows four men planning a jewel-store burglary in Paris. Its most famous passage is a nearly silent break-in sequence that emphasizes tools, timing and physical procedure rather than dialogue or a conventional musical score.

Dassin was an American filmmaker who moved to Europe after being blacklisted in Hollywood. Rififi became his best-known film and is often cited as a major influence on later realistic heist movies. The production was based on Auguste Le Breton's 1953 crime novel.

The film's reputation rests especially on its attention to detail. Viewers see the robbers disable alarms, penetrate the ceiling and open the safe, making the operation feel methodical and dangerous. The movie also turns sharply after the burglary, showing how fear, betrayal and retaliation threaten the crew's success.